Two Tales of Married Life Hard to Bear, by Goorgiana
M. Craik ; and A True Man, by M. C. Stirling. 3 vole. (Hurst and Blackett.)— /lot/tory Seifert, Q.C. By John 011ive. 8 vols. (Chapman and Hall.) —The authors of these tales have followed the advice sometimes given by critics, and judging that tho most important part of a woman's life begins with her marriage, have given us, as their titles tell us, "tales of married life." But we doubt whether readers will consider that the results are satisfactory. Hard to Bear and A Trite Man are indeed very good of their kind, and it is the subject rather than the treatment that is at fault, if the reader is not pleased. But pleased he will hardly be. In both cases a young woman chooses her husband foolishly, fancying in him qualities which he does not possess. The heroine of Bard to Bear wins her husband's affection, after a display of patience and fortitude which is really admirable, and which is excellently described. " But was he worth the winning ?" asks the author:; and answers the question, " For my own part, I do not think that be was." This is an opinion which the reader will long ago have formed. Having formed it, he cannot but have let his interest slacken. It is not possible to feel much sympathy even for the most earnest and simple-hearted endeavours to secure a something which is not worth securing. The story of A True Man will take 'the reader with it more thoroughly, but at the same time it is very dis- tinctly painful ; and this effect is not diminished by the fine drawing 'of the true hero of the book, Captain Harcourt.—In Rothery Se Vert, Q.C, the painful effect predominates, and is not, we feel bound to say, welievtal by any noticeable skill or delicacy of drawing. There is not a character in the book, from the beginning to the end, in which it is possible to fool the least interest,—not one who is not dither foolish, selfish, or base. We ought, perhaps, to make an exception in favour of Florry ; but if it is made, it is of little importance, as she is quite a minor personage. Now this, wo think, is a great mistake on the part of Mr. Oltivo. It might have been necessary to represent Lona% father as very weak—though this weakness is almost idiotic— her step-mother as selfish and domineering, and her husband as utterly heartless. But it would have been well to relieve the picture with some lighter touches. It subset:yes no purpose, for instance, to make the Devonshire clergyman such a shallow, selfish creature. Wo have seen many worse-written novels than this, but do not remember one which it was more painful to read.
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